The field of the invention is related to method for drainage of water around the subterranean structures. There are many ways currently on the market to drain water away from foundations; almost all of them are expensive.
For example, one could place a drainage pipe on the outside of a footer of a foundation wall. One such example is shown in Clay et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,115. This patent provides a drain pipe on the outside of the footer (along with a liner that forms a drainage trench) which will evacuate the water. This is very extensive procedure involving expensive heavy machinery to excavate and backfill around the complete structure all the way to the bottom of the footer. Installing a perimeter drain pipe is an expensive way to drain the perimeter water from the outside of the wall especially when the drain is usually 6 to 8 feet below grade.
Another method of the drainage of foundation water is to place a similar drain pipe on the inside of the footer of a foundation wall. This usually involves jack hammering up the perimeter of the slab, hauling away all of the rubble, and placing a drainage pipe around the perimeter of the basement floor that will drain to a sump pit with a pump. This is also a very expensive and laborious procedure that involves skilled construction workers.
Another common method to stop water penetration of the foundation slab and wall is to install a wall membrane. One such example is shown in Sacks U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,390. This patent involves a wall membrane to drain water downward to a drain pipe away from the wall. Again, this method is very expensive and involves heavy machinery, skilled contractors, and a substantial cost.
There also have been some patents on drainage cells that either overlap or claim to be interlocking, but if a sealant in a joint fails or the interlocking mechanism is not manufactured to a certain tolerances, they will leak. An example is shown in Lee U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,569. This patent involves a drainage cell that fits together with a “male” and “female” connection. However, if the drainage cell is not manufactured to certain tolerances, water will find a way to leak thru the material.
Many homeowners put down some type of thick plastic to protect their foundations, but in time, many of the plants and weeds break penetrate the barrier they have placed under the soil, rendering the barrier useless.